The news cycle in modern American politics is not so much supercharged, as nuclear-powered. So it is no surprise that less than 36 hours after secretly-taped videos of Mitt Romney exploded into the political race, they have already become the subject of political attack ads.

Obama's attack

Like Usain Bolt sprinting after a gold medal, pro-Obama Super Pac Priorities USA Action has darted out of the gate to get its latest ad on the air in the vital battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. And Romney's comments at the private Florida fundraiser – in which he called 47% of Americans "victims" of government dependency who pay no income tax – are front and centre.

The Romney campaign often complains that it is a victim of class warfare. It is an inappropriate and over-reaching defence. But this ad certainly does not shy away from its attempt to paint Romney as an uncaring, wealthy elitist – a task in which it is greatly helped by Romney's own words.

Called "Doors", the ad begins with a picture of the huge mansion in which Romney was video-taped. "Behind these doors Mitt Romney calls half the American people 'dependent upon government, who believe they are victims'," the narrator says, splicing in footage of Romney's quote.

"Victims?" the narrator says, incredulously, as the ad goes on to shows a normal-looking middle-class house and shots of ordinary – and perhaps significantly – white Americans looking worried and nervous as they raise families and work jobs. Then it claims that Romney wants to give tax cuts to the wealthy. "Mitt Romney will never convince us he's on our side," the ad concludes.

It is hard-hitting stuff. But this sort of theme is now bread-and-butter for the Obama campaign. On issue after issue, they have sought to portray Romney as out-of-touch, uncaring and concerned only with the interests of people as wealthy as him. From refusing to release his taxes, to his record at Bain, to spoken gaffes about corporations being people, the Democrats and their allies have been ever more relentless.

Of course, no one has helped them more than Romney himself, and no mistake has been bigger than this video. It gives the wholehearted impression of a man who will say one thing in public, but in private – to a group of wealthy donors in a mansion – will spout the sort of ultra-conservatism that is beloved of rightwing billionaires but that would be suicide at the ballot box.

Romney's counter

And what is the Romney camp's response to all this? They have launched two ads on the air defending the coal industry. Called "Way of Life" and "War on Coal", the ads are both similar in tone and style. They feature groups of miners – again, perhaps significantly, they are all white – who speak about government attacks on their industry, their worries over the job prospects of their children and grandchildren, and their support for Romney. Their mood is sombre and full of foreboding.

The campaign has not revealed where these ads are airing but it seems likely they are destined for states like Ohio or Virginia where Romney is looking to maximise his white working-class turnout and which border coal-producing areas.

The ads are a reminder of something that is increasingly overlooked in the current election race: Obama is vulnerable. The president's polling numbers are far from healthy, he motivates the Republican base to rally against him, the economic recovery he promised has not materialised and swathes of his own base are disillusioned. Against such a backdrop it is easy to imagine the right sort of Republican challenger having a good shot at winning 2012 and fulfilling the GOP's cherished dream of cutting Obama down to a one-term president.

But when you watch that first ad from Priorities USA Action – let alone turn on the news and see yet another clip of Romney's secret speech – you realise that Mitt Romney just is not that candidate.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at a hastily-convened press conference after being secretly filmed saying nearly half of all Americans are government-dependent 'victims' who do not pay taxes